No new leads one month after hunter James 'Jim' Barnes and dog Murphy vanished near Chetwynd

CHETWYND -- It's been one month since hunter Jim Barnes and his dog Murphy went missing in the Chetwynd area, and as snow and frigid conditions descend upon the region, the pair's whereabouts remain a mystery.

Initial Missing Persons Report: 

Fort St. John RCMP first received a report of a missing person shortly before 11:00 p.m. on October 18, 2024, after the duo failed to return home.

A day later, Chetwynd RCMP were advised of the missing person investigation.

According to RCMP, Barnes had gone grouse hunting with his golden retriever in a 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck with the B.C. licence plate LJ1 079.

An initial investigation determined that were last seen before the noon hour on the 18^th on Ground Birch Road, off of 269 Road.

The truck, containing his keys, wallet, backpack, rifle, and other valuables iwere found, however Barnes and Murphy were not in the vehicle.

Search and Rescue teams from Prince George, Tumbler Ridge, Mackenzie, North and South Peace were engaged, working in unison to aid in the search that began October 20^th.

“Our teams, along with trained civilian volunteers, are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and success of the operation,” said South Peace and Rescue in a Facebook post.

North District RCMP Media Relations also confirmed that police dog and air services were assisting in the search and have been joined by resources from the BC Wildfire Service.

Search Suspended:

On October 25^th, RCMP confirmed the search for Barnes was suspended, the family being informed of their decision.

"The RCMP will continue with their investigation, following up on leads and information received," said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson, District Advisory NCO for the North District RCMP, in an email to CJDC-TV.

The search was to resume once all leads were followed up on, however, Mounties are only able to confirm that the investigation remains active.

New Clues Found:

The day the search was suspended, Barnes sister, Wendy Barnes, shared on social media that the search uncovered a boot and dog print along the East Pine River.

The boot print, found frozen in the mud, promoted a request for a volunteer with a boat to help conduct a search along the river. While the request was successful, no other tracks were discovered.

“We did get the boat and he was able to take a friend up to look for more boot prints,” said Barnes in a Facebook post, that has already been shared over 2000 times.

The family speculating at the time that Barnes may have been trying to make his way towards the highway from the East Pine boat launch.

 North District RCMP Media Relations have not yet been able to confirm whether the Chetwynd detachment investigated the prints.

GoFundMe Campaign:

Late last month, a GoFundMe campaign was set up to support Barne’s loved ones.

The funds raised assisting Barnes' partner, Michaela, a paramedic in Fort St. John.

“I am setting up this Go Fund Me for Micaela so she can focus on bringing Jimmy home safely,” said Kate Haywood, the campaign organizer.

According to the campaign, the money will also cover travel costs for friends and family to join the search efforts.

As of today, the campaign has raised more than $14,000.

Barnes is described as a 28-year-old Caucasian man, standing six-feet tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds. He has brown hair and a mustache and was last seen wearing a 'TC Energy' ball cap, jeans, and a green or blue hoodie.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is being asked to contact Chetwynd RCMP.